chemistry experiments elementary school

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10 Fun Elementary School Classroom Decorations

An elementary school classroom that is decorated with fun colors and themes can help create an exciting learning atmosphere for children of all ages. Here are 10 fun elementary school classroom decorations that can help engage young students.

Use Bright Colors

Children love bright colors, and an exciting classroom can spark imagination and keep children wanting to learn more.

Make the Walls Count

The walls in any elementary school classroom should be instructional in nature and inspire students to work hard and be kind.

Offer a Warm Welcoming

The first thing a student sees upon entering a classroom is the door. Make the door stand out and creates a warm, inviting welcome.

Display Student Artwork

Nothing makes a student feel more proud than seeing his or her artwork on display. Create a Fine Art Gallery to proudly display students work.

Create a Reading Nook

There’s nothing better than an inviting reading nook in an elementary classroom. A bookshelf and a cozy cushion or two can help students foster a love for reading that will last a lifetime.

Create a Classroom Theme

A classroom theme ties the room together and can get students focused on a specific topic. Fun themes include under the sea, desert plants, jungle animals and rainbows.

Classroom Calendar

Classroom calendars are a great interactive decoration that students can update daily. A calendar can help students establish a routine and commit important dates to memory.

Create a Wall of Fame

A fun way for teachers and students to get to know each other is to create a Wall of Fame in the classroom. Students can submit pictures or have their pictures taken in school.

Classroom Jobs

Every student loves to feel important. A classroom job is the perfect way to teach children responsibility and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Online Classroom

Computer access for students is important in every 21st century classroom. An elementary classroom should have a space for students to safely access the web. Kahoot is a fun way to play interactive and educational games for students of all ages. Some of the games available to students on Kahoot include lessons in world history, geometry and vocabulary. Google Classroom is an innovative online classroom where students can join a class created by an educator. In order to access Google Classroom, students must first receive an access code from his or her teacher. Students cannot access Google Classroom with their personal Google login. Schools must have a G Suite For Education aCC0unt before creating classes for students.

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Easy Chemistry Experiments for Kids

October 19, 2021 By Emma Vanstone 1 Comment

When I think back to my own childhood and school days, I don’t remember any chemistry experiments until secondary school, which is a shame because there are so many wonderfully visual easy chemistry experiments for kids that can be done at home or in school with young children.

I’ve put together a collection of my favourite examples, do let us know if you try any.

  Please remember young children should be supervised at all times.

Chemistry Experiments for Kids in the Kitchen

Exploding sandwich bags .

I did struggle a little when we tried this as the reaction happens so fast, but  Steve Spangler has a nifty method where he traps the vinegar in a second smaller bag, which you then have to burst to get the reaction started.

Inspiration laboratories add a twist by adding some colour and making  firework pictures at the same time.

Blow Up a Balloon

This is a super simple demonstration or experiment that has never failed me, and all you need is a container with a small neck, a balloon and either an alka seltzer or an effervescent vitamin tablet. The alka seltzer or vitamin tablet reacts with water to release bubbles of carbon dioxide filling the jar and then blowing up the balloon.

Blow up a balloon with alka seltzer

Find out how to blow up a balloon with lemon juice and baking soda.

Colourful Milk

Make a lovely, colourful display using milk, food colouring and vinegar.

Oil, Food Colouring and Water Exploration Table

My oil, water and food colouring exploration table is brilliant for even very young children. For older children, try a more structured approach, they could measure the amount of vinegar and baking soda needed to make the reaction spill over the top of the beaker or try dropping tiny amounts of coloured water into the oil.

Density Rainbow Jar

Learn about the tricky concept of density and make a beautiful demonstration density jar .

Simple Density Jar

If you don’t want to make as many layers as we have, why not try this smaller version and try to find an object to float on each layer?

Lemon Volcanoes

This lemon volcano from Babble Dabble Do is a great alternative to the traditional volcano and is handy as the lemon already contains acid.

Clean coins

Did you know you can clean coins with vinegar ?

Colourful Chemistry Experiments

Make your own ph indicator.

Test the pH of vinegar and baking soda with a red cabbage indicator . What do you think might happen if you blow into the indicator?

Dissolving Skittles

Watching the colour dissolve from skittles or M & Ms dissolve into water is a lovely, quick, visual activity.

Chemistry Experiments for Kids Outside

Giant bubbles.

Who doesn’t love a giant bubble ? Red Ted Art makes bubble making look easy in this great video. Remember, the mixture gets better the longer you leave it, so allow plenty of time.

Make a Square Bubble

All you need to make a square bubble is a square frame. If you don’t have plastic pieces to use, pipe cleaners also work well.

Coke and Mento Reaction

The infamous coke and mento reaction is super easy and very impressive to watch. Try comparing the size of the geyser using diet and full sugar cola or using different types of fizzy drinks.

Can you design something which allows the mentos to drop in as soon as you remove the lid?

Elephants Toothpaste

Fun at Home with Kids makes elephants toothpaste   look super simple, but do be careful with the hydrogen peroxide and take appropriate precautions.

Film Canister Rockets

Film canister rockets are easy, inexpensive and great fun. All you need is a film canister, an effervescent vitamin tablet and some water. Experiment with different amounts of water and tablets to find the most explosive combination.

Make a Volcano

Find out how to make a volcano erupt with sand, snow or papier mache. A baking soda volcano is a brilliant classic chemistry experiment every kid should try at least once!

Chemistry Separation Methods

Bicycle centrifuge.

Did you know you can use bike wheels as a very basic centrifuge ?

Stone and Gravel Filter

Learn about filters by making a filter with stones , gravel and sand.

Filter Paper Chromatography

Take on the role of a detective with some fun filter paper chromatography .

Can you think of any more amazing chemistry experiments for kids?

Last Updated on April 13, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

June 15, 2021 at 5:04 pm

these ideas are great i picked two to do at my moms house the skittles in water and coke with mentos my mom might not let me do the coke bootle and mentos but she might let me do the skittles i will let you know if it works if it does i give this website a 10/10

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65 Amazing Chemistry Experiments for Kids

Chemistry is so much fun, and we have tons of cool chemistry experiments to share with you. Like our awesome physics experiments , we decided we needed to put together a list of fun chemistry projects kids can do at home or in the classroom. Check out these examples of easy chemical reactions below!

Easy Chemistry Projects For Kids

Here you will find over 30 simple chemistry experiments for kindergarten, preschoolers, and elementary kids to enjoy at home or in the classroom. The only difficulty will be deciding which science experiment you want to try.

Below you will find a fun mixture {no pun intended} of chemistry activities that include chemical reactions, mixing saturated solutions, acid and bases , exploring the solubility of both solids and liquids, growing crystals, making slime, and so much more!

Our science experiments are designed with you, the parent or teacher, in mind!  Easy to set up, and quick to do, most activities take only 15 to 30 minutes to complete, and are heaps of fun. 

Plus, our supply lists usually contain only free or cheap materials you can source from home. Any of these chemistry experiments below would be great for chemistry at home.

Chemistry At Home

Can you do cool chemistry experiments at home? You bet! Is it hard? Nope!

What do you need to get started? Simply get up, walk into the kitchen, and start rummaging through cupboards.  You will surely find some or all of the supplies you will need for these chemistry projects below.

Check out our list of must-have simple supplies for a science kit and a slime kit .

These chemistry experiments work well with multiple age groups, from preschool to elementary and beyond. Our activities have also been readily used with special needs groups in high school and young adult programs. Provide more or less adult supervision depending on your kids’ abilities!

Read on to find out our favorite chemistry experiments you can do in the classroom or at home that are totally doable and make sense for kids in grades K-5! You can also review our lists for specific grades below.

• Toddler Science
• Preschool Science
• Kindergarten Science
• Elementary Science
• Middle School Science

Suggestion: Make a lemon battery for older kiddos and explore a lemon volcano with younger kiddos!

Chemistry For Preschoolers

Let’s keep it basic for our younger or junior scientists! Chemistry is all about how different materials are put together and what they are made up of, like atoms and molecules.

What can you do with your youngest scientists? While working 1-1 or in a very small group is ideal, you can explore chemistry in a few fun ways that don’t require a lengthy setup or a lot of directions to follow. Do NOT overcomplicate the ideas!

Take, for example, our very first baking soda science experiment (age 3). So simple to set up, but so lovely to watch the amazement on my son’s face.

Check out these fun ways for preschoolers to explore science…

• Make liquid mixtures! Mix water and oil in a jar, let it rest, and observe what happens.
• Make solid mixtures! Mix two solid items and observe the changes!
• Mix a solid and a liquid! Add ice to a drink and observe the changes!
• Make a reaction! Set up a tray with baking soda in small cups and colored vinegar in small cups with pipettes. Mix and observe!
• Make oobleck ! Mix cornstarch and water for a weird and messy science activity.
• Explore characteristics of things! Use new science words to describe how different materials feel. Explore squishy, hard, rough, smooth, wet, etc…

Much of preschool science is about you sharing new experiences with them that are relatable and simple. A sk questions, share new words, and offer verbal prompts to get them to communicate with you about what they see!

Grab this FREE Chemistry Experiments Pack to get started!

Chemistry Science Fair Projects

Science projects are an excellent tool for older kiddos to show what they know about science! Plus, they can be used in all sorts of environments including classrooms, homeschool, and groups.

Kids can take everything they have learned about using the scientific method , stating a hypothesis, choosing variables , and analyzing and presenting data.

Want to turn one of these fun chemistry experiments into a science project? Then you will want to check out these helpful resources.

• Easy Science Fair Projects
• Science Project Tips From A Teacher
• Science Fair Board Ideas

Bonus: States of Matter Experiments

Explore solids, liquids, and gasses through various simple science experiments. Plus look for a fantastic free printable pack to go along with your states of matter lesson plans.

65 Chemistry Experiments You Want To Try

We have divided our chemistry experiments below into chemical reactions, acids, and bases, chromatography, solutions, polymers, and crystals. You’ll find that some experiments also explore concepts in physics .

Chemical Reactions

A chemical reaction is a process where two or more substances react together to form a new chemical substance. This might look like a gas formed, cooking or baking, milk souring, etc.

Sometimes a physical change occurs, like our popcorn experiment or melting crayons, rather than a chemical change . However, these experiments below are all great examples of chemical change, where a new substance is formed.

CHECK OUT: Examples Of Physical Change and Chemical Change Examples

Can chemical reactions happen safely at home or in the classroom? Absolutely! This is one of the most fun parts of chemistry for kids, and you will find lots of ideas below for safe chemical reactions you can do with your junior scientists.

Why Do Apples Turn Brown?

Acid Rain Experiment

Alka Seltzer Rockets

Baking Soda Vinegar Bottle Rocket

Lava Lamp Experiment

Egg In Vinegar Experiment

Tie Dye Art

G reen Penny Experiment

Milk and Vinegar

Seashells With Vinegar

Bread In A Bag

Photosynthesis

Yeast and Hydrogen Perioxide

Invisible Ink

Elephant Toothpaste

Acids And Bases

Acids and bases are important for many chemical processes in everyday life. An acid has hydrogen ions and can donate protons. Acids taste sour and have a pH from 0 to 7. Vinegar and citric acid are examples of acids.

Bases are molecules that can accept hydrogen ions. They have a pH higher than seven and can taste bitter. Sodium bicarbonate or baking soda and ammonia are examples of bases. Learn more about the pH scale.

Vinegar and baking soda experiments are classic acid-base reactions. You’ll also find experiments that use an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice. We have so many fun variations that your kids will love to try! Check out these acid-base chemistry experiments below.

Citric Acid and Baking Soda

Bottle Rocket

Lemon Volcano Experiment

Egg in Vinegar Experiment

Dancing Corn

Balloon Experiment

Cabbage pH Experiment

Fizzy Lemonade

Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano

Salt Dough Volcano

Watermelon Volcano

Snow Volcano

Lego Volcano

Fizzing Slime Volcano

Dying Eggs With Vinegar

Chromatography

Chromatography is a technique that involves the separation of a mixture into its parts so you can see each one individually.

This marker and paper chromatography lab uses chromatography to separate the pigments in a black marker.

Or set up a leaf chromatography experiment to find the hidden pigments in the leaves in your backyard!

A solution is a mixture of 2 or more solutes dissolved in a solvent up to its solubility limit. It most often refers to liquids, but solutions, gases, and solids are also possible.

A solution will have its components evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Chemistry experiments involving solutions are great for kids. Gather liquids you commonly find in your kitchen, oil, water, detergent, etc., and explore what dissolves.

What dissolves in water?

Gummy Bear Experiment

Skittles Experiment

Dissolving Candy Canes

Dissolving Candy Fish

Dissolving Candy Hearts

Paper Towel Art

Floating M Experiment

Fireworks In A Jar

Homemade Salad Dressing

Magic Milk Experiment

Ice Cream In A Bag

A polymer is a huge molecule made up of many smaller molecules layered together in repeating patterns called monomers. Putty, slime, and cornstarch are all examples of polymers. Learn more about the science of slime polymers .

Making slime is great for at-home chemistry and is also tons of hands-on fun! It’s also a classic middle school science demonstration for the classroom. Here are a few of our favorite slime recipes to get you started.

Putty Slime

Fluffy Slime

Borax Slime

Slime with Liquid Starch

Galaxy Slime

Cornstarch Slime

Cloud Slime

Slime with Clay

Clear Glue Slime

Magnetic Slime

Explore polymers with a simple cornstarch and water mixture. Check out these fun variations of oobleck below.

Rainbow Oobleck

Dr Seuss Oobleck

Snowflake Oobleck

Candy Heart Oobleck

A crystal is a solid material with a highly ordered internal structure of atoms, molecules, or ions held together by chemical bonds.

Grow crystals and observe them by mixing up a super-saturated solution and leaving it for several days to let the crystals form.

Simple to grow and taste-safe, a sugar crystals experiment is more accessible for younger kids, but you can also try growing borax crystals for older kids.

Check out our fun theme variations of growing crystals too!

Sugar Crystal Experiment

Grow Borax Crystals

Crystal Snowflakes

Rainbow Crystals

Grow Salt Crystals

Crystal Seashells

Crystal Leaves

Crystal Flowers

Crystal Hearts

Edible Geodes

Egg Shell Geodes

More Helpful Science Resources

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

• Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
• Science Vocabulary
• 8 Science Books for Kids
• All About Scientists
• Science Supplies List
• Science Tools for Kids

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of the printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets, our Science Project Pack is what you need!

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23 Fun and Easy Chemistry Activities for Elementary School Kids

October 12, 2022 //  by  Florence Florah

The only chemistry experiments I can recall doing growing up were in advanced chemistry in high school and as a chemistry major in college, which is unfortunate because there are so many excellently visual, simple activities for excellence in science education.

We connect chemistry with lab coats, beakers, and specialty substances. Still, the truth is that school chemistry teachers can do many science activities with essential, everyday life items frequently present in your pantry.

These enjoyable and cool chemistry experiments, organized by topic, are designed to help for chemistry teachers introduce the basics to the kids.

Chemical Reactions

1. magic milk experiment.

This magic milk test is sure to become your favorite chemistry experiment. Mixing a little milk, some food coloring, and a dab of liquid soap results in strange interactions. Discover the fascinating scientific secrets of soap through this experiment, then astound your chemistry students.

Learn more: Steve Spangler Science

2. Density Lava Lamps

Pour the following liquids into a plastic bottle to create a density lava lamp : a layer of vegetable oil, clear corn syrup, and water with a few drops of food coloring. Make sure the top of the bottle has room. Before adding an extra strength Alka seltzer pill, wait for the liquids to settle. Water and Alka seltzer react, bubbling up through the oil layer.

Learn more: WLTX TV

3. Color Mixing

Add blue, red, and yellow food coloring to three transparent plastic cups. Give your kids an empty ice cube tray and pipettes to produce new colors by mixing two primary colors. Two primary colors form a new secondary color. This shows how chemical reactions occur.

Learn more: Sciencing

4. Sugar and Yeast Balloon Experiment

Fill the bottom of the empty water bottle with a few spoonfuls of sugar for the yeast balloon experiment. Using warm water, fill the bottle to about halfway. Add yeast to the mixture. Place a balloon over the bottle opening after swirling the contents. After a while, the balloon begins to inflate and grow in size.

Learn more: Sick Science!

Acids and Bases

5. baking soda & vinegar volcano.

The baking soda and vinegar volcano is a fun project in the field of chemistry that may be used to replicate an actual volcanic eruption or as an illustration of an acid-base reaction. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid) react chemically, producing carbon dioxide gas, which creates bubbles in the dishwashing solution.

Learn more: Red Ted Art

6. Dancing Rice

In this simple chemistry experiment, kids fill a jar three-quarters of the way with water and add food coloring as desired. Add a tablespoon of baking soda and stir. Add a quarter cup of uncooked rice and a couple of teaspoons of white vinegar. Observe how the rice moves.

Learn more: Buggy and Buddy

7. Exploding Bags

The traditional baking soda and vinegar acid-base chemistry experiment has been twisted in this science experiment using exploding baggies. Insert a folder tissue containing three tablespoons of baking soda quickly into a bag, and take a step back. Watch the bag slowly get bigger until it bursts.

Learn more: Science Fun

8. Rainbow Rubber Eggs

Turn eggs into rubber with this simple chemistry experiment for kids. Carefully put a raw egg in a clear jar or cup. Pour enough vinegar into the cup so that the egg is completely covered. Add a few big drops of food coloring and stir the mixture gently. Over a few days, the vinegar breaks down the eggshell.

Learn more: Babble Dabble Do

Carbon Reactions

9. smoking fingers.

Begin by re­moving as much pa­per from the scratch pad of a match­box as possible. Ig­nite it in a porcelain cup or plate. After that, remove the unburned remains. A thick greasy liq­uid has accumulated at the bottom. To create white smoke, put the liquid on your fingers and rub them together.

Learn more: Left Brain Craft Brain

10. Fire Snake

This is a cool chemistry experiment that you can perform in your class. Baking soda produces carbon dioxide gas when heated. Similar to typical intumescent fireworks, the snake shape is created when the pressure from this gas forces the carbonate from the burning sugar out.

Learn more: Wonder How To

11. Silver Egg

In this experiment, a candle is used to burn soot onto an egg, which is then submerged in water. The eggshell's surface is covered with the soot that accumulates, and if the burnt shell is submerged in water, it turns silver. The egg appears silver because the soot deflects water and covers it with a thin layer of air that reflects light.

Learn more: Housing a Forest

12. Invisible Ink

In this elementary school chemistry level experiment, diluted lemon juice is utilized as ink on paper. Until it is heated, the lettering is invisible, but the hidden message is revealed when it is heated. Lemon juice is an organic component that, when heated, oxidizes and turns brown.

Chromatography

13. chromatography.

You will divide the color black into other colors for this elementary school chemistry level activity. A coffee filter is folded in half. To form a triangle, fold twice more in half. A black washable marker is used to color the coffee filter's tip. A little water is added to a plastic cup. Observe after inserting the coffee filter's black end into the cup.  You should see blue, green, and even red as the water separates the ink.

Learn more: Science Sparks

14. Chromatography Flowers

Pupils will use coffee filters to separate the colors of several markers in this science experiment. After seeing the outcomes, they can use the resulting coffee filters to make a bright floral craft.

Learn more: Instructables

15. Chromatography Art

In this chemistry activity , elementary school kids will adapt their finished science project into a chromatographic art piece. Younger children can make a vibrant collage, while older children might do a weaving art project.

16. Making Oobleck

After mixing water and cornstarch, allow the children to dip their hands into this non-Newtonian fluid, which has properties of both a solid and a liquid. Oobleck feels firm to the touch after a rapid tap because the cornstarch particles are compressed. However, slowly plunge your hand into the mixture to see what happens. Your fingers should slide in like water.

Learn more: Science U

17. Making Butter

Fat molecules tend to clump together when cream is shaken. After some time, the buttermilk is left behind as the fat molecules stick together to create a lump of butter.  Making butter is the ideal chemistry for kids in elementary school.

Learn more: STEAMsational

Solutions/Solubility

18. melting ice experiment.

Fill four bowls with an equal amount of ice cubes each for this activity. Generously add baking soda, salt, sugar, and sand to the different bowls. After a bout every 15 minutes, check on your ice and take note of the varying melting levels.

Learn more: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

19. The Skittles Test

Put your skittles or sweets in a white container and try to mix up the colors. Water should then be carefully poured into the container; observe what occurs. When you pour water over the skittles, the color and sugar dissolve into the water. The color then spreads through the water, making it the color of the skittle.

Learn more: In Villa Park

20. Color Changing Slime

A straightforward STEM activity for the classroom involves making homemade slime whose color changes with temperature. The color of the slime changes at a particular temperature when heat-sensitive pigments (thermochromic pigments) are added. The thermochromic dye applied may cause the color to change at specific temperatures making this my favorite slime recipe.

21. Skewer Through a Balloon

Even though it sounds impossible, learning how to poke a stick through a balloon without popping it with the correct scientific knowledge is feasible. Elastic polymers found in balloons enable the balloon to stretch. The skewer is enclosed by these polymer chains, which stop the balloon from popping.

22. Growing Borax Crystals

Borax crystallization is an exciting science activity. The results of letting the crystals grow are lovely, but it does require some patience. Children may practically observe changes in matter as crystals form and how molecules respond to temperature variations.

Learn more: Instructables Living

23. Egg Geodes

Increase your elementary school students' attention in chemistry lectures using this hands-on crystal-growing activity, a hybrid of a craft project and a science experiment. While crystal-filled geodes naturally form over thousands of years, you can produce your crystals in a single day using materials you can find at the grocery store.

Learn more: Tinkerlab

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8 Simple Chemistry Experiments That Your Kids Can Do at Home

Chemistry is a fascinating subject. And what better way to learn than through science experiments?

Here are 8 hands-on science experiments for kids over the school holiday. These experiments are great for older children, or with assistance from mum or dad. They can be done at home with ingredients you already have on hand.

So pick an experiment, and grab your lab coats to get started!

1. Cabbage chemistry

2. lolly fountain, 3. bath bombs, 5. rubber egg, 6. crystals, 8. snot slime, cabbage chemistry.

Follow these instructions to learn about acids and bases using red cabbage.

Safety: This activity requires the use of a knife, poisonous chemicals and hot water. Ask an adult to assist you. Always follow the safety advice on the products you are using.

You will need

• fresh red cabbage
• sharp knife
• cutting board
• hot tap water
• 7 clear plastic disposable cups
• 7 plastic spoons
• large plastic bottle
• strongly acidic, e.g. powdered toilet cleaner
• acidic, e.g. vinegar, lemon juice, white wine, lemonade or citric acid
• weakly acidic, e.g. cream of tartar
• neutral, e.g. pure water, shampoo or baby shampoo
• slightly basic, e.g. bicarbonate soda
• basic, e.g. milk of magnesia, washing soda or floor cleaner
• strongly basic, e.g. dishwasher liquid or powder
• Using a sharp knife and cutting board, finely slice three or four red cabbage leaves.
• Place the cabbage leaves in the plastic bottle, half fill the bottle with hot water and screw the lid on tightly.
• Shake the bottle for a few minutes until the water becomes a deep purple colour. Leave the solution to cool.
• Strain the solution and add sufficient water to the solution to make about 1 L.
• In each of the cups, place a small amount of one of the above household substances in the following order: strongly acidic; acidic; slightly acidic; neutral; slightly basic; basic and strongly basic.
• Now half fill each cup with the red cabbage water and stir the solution. If arranged in order, the jars should display a spectrum of colours from cherry red (strongly acidic), pink-red (acidic), lilac (slightly acidic), purple (neutral), blue (slightly basic), green (basic) and yellow (strongly basic).

What’s happening

The things we eat and drink are all acidic, and the things we use for cleaning are basic. This is because basic substances taste unpleasant, but a cleaning agent usually needs to be basic to remove dirt and grease.

Substances that are acidic or basic make the eyes sting, so baby shampoo is made neutral.

Acids are a very common group of chemical compounds, many of which occur naturally. Acids can be strong or weak.

Citric acid, which occurs naturally in lemons, is a weak acid. Hydrochloric acid (used for soldering) and sulfuric acid (battery acid) are very strong acids.

Bases (often called alkalis) are another group of chemical compounds that have different chemical properties from acids. When bases and acids are added together, they will neutralise each other’s properties.

We describe whether things are acidic, basic or neutral by using a scale called the pH scale. The pH scale ranges from zero to 14. A substance with a pH of:

• 0 is a very strong acid
• 3 – 5 is a weak acid
• 7 is neutral
• 8 – 9 is a weak base
• 13 – 14 is a very strong base.

Pure water has a pH of seven and is regarded as neutral.

Acids and bases can be detected by a group of chemical compounds called acid-base indicators. One of the first known naturally occurring indicators was a type of lichen called litmus. (Lichens are plant-like growths that are often found on rocks and tree bark.) Litmus turns red in the presence of an acid or blue with a base.

Most indicators used today to detect acids and bases are man-made. However, many plant pigments, such as the red cabbage you used, contain chemicals that act as acid-base indicators.

Looking for more science resources?

There are over 120 science e-books in the reading eggs library to read and explore., lolly/candy fountain.

Learn more about gases by creating a soft drink fountain using lollies/sweets. What a sweet way to find out more about chemistry!

• Roll of lollies/sweets (mint lollies/sweets work well)
• 2 L bottle of soft drink
• Piece of paper or a tube for the lollies/sweets
• Outdoor area

Do this activity in an outdoor area.

• Open the bottle of soft drink and place the bottle on the ground so it will not tip over.
• Roll up the paper into a cylinder that’s just wide enough for the lollies to slide through.
• Put your finger over the bottom of the roll and ask your friend to put the lollies into the paper tube.
• Hold the tube of lollies just above the bottle and remove your finger so all the lollies drop straight in. You need to drop all the lollies into the bottle at the same time.
• As soon as you have done that, move away from the bottle as quickly as possible.
• Diet soft drink works just as well and is less sticky to clean up as it contains no sugar.
• Orange soft drink doesn’t always work. Neither does Solo as it is light on fizz.
• Experiment with different types of lollies – Kool Mints were used in this activity. Try Mentos or other sugar coated lollies.
• Experiment with the soft drink at room temperature or from the fridge.

What’s happening?

Soft drink is bubbly because carbon dioxide gas has been forced into the bottle under pressure.

Until you open the bottle, the gas mostly stays dissolved in the liquid and cannot expand to form bubbles, which the gas will do when not under pressure.

If you shake the bottle and then open it, the gas escapes with a whoosh, taking some of the soft drink along with it. Adding anything to a soft drink enables more bubbles to form and escape.

Try stirring soft drink with a spoon – it gets less fizzy.

The lollies provide lots of surface area very quickly, which means the bubbles of gas form very rapidly in huge numbers.

You need non-smooth surfaces to enable the gas to form.

Both sand and sugar have the same effect when dropped in soft drink.

When you look at a glass of soft drink, there are normally just a few streams of bubbles coming off specific points on the glass where the surface is uneven.

Sometimes you see a stream of bubbles coming from the middle and if you look carefully you can often see a piece of dust with bubbles coming off its end.

The place where the bubbles start to form is called the centre of nucleation.

As the lolly dissolves, it forms hundreds of nucleation points which are tiny pits on the surface of the lolly where more carbon dioxide bubbles can form.

When all this gas is released, it thrusts the entire contents of the bottle skyward, in an incredible soft drink blast.

Make your own bath bombs

Follow these instructions to make your own bath bombs and learn about science while having fun in the bath!

• food colouring/coloring
• flower petals or body glitter
• sweet almond oil
• scented oil such as lavender oil
• 10 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda
• 3 tablespoons of citric acid
• 2 large mixing bowls
• 1 large muffin tray
• 1 small glass jar
• rubber gloves
• Grease the sides and bases of a large muffin tray with a small amount of almond oil.
• Place the citric acid and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Mix the ingredients together well, to form the base mixture.
• Scoop out about half a cup of this mixture and put it in into another bowl. This will make about one or two bath bombs (depending on the size of the holes in your muffin tray). You could also use old plastic containers or anything that will hold a shape.
• Add the flower petals or body glitter to the base mixture.
• In the small glass jar, mix together 6 drops of your scented oil, 5 teaspoons of sweet almond oil and about 10 drops of food colouring.
• Gradually pour the oil mixture into the half cup of the base mixture. While wearing rubber gloves, quickly mix it all together. The mixture is ready when it stays together in your hands without crumbling too much.
• Spoon the mixture into the muffin tray. Press it down firmly.
• You can use the rest of the mixture with other types of scented oil or food colouring to make more bath bombs.
• Leave the bombs in the tray to set for a few days.
• Carefully up-end your bath bombs to remove them from the moulds.
• Run a bath, hop in and drop a bomb. Watch it fizzzzzz!

What’s happening?

When the bath bomb dissolves in water, there is a chemical reaction between the citric acid and the sodium bicarbonate. The result is called sodium citrate. During the reaction, carbon dioxide is released. This causes the ‘fizzing’ that you see, similar to that in carbonated water.

The sweet almond oil is released during this reaction. It will form a thin layer on your skin which can help to moisturise/moisturize it. The lavender oil is for fragrance.

Wait, there’s more science experiment books in the Reading Eggs Library!

How to make sherbet.

Follow these instructions to create an acid-base reaction in your mouth!

• icing sugar
• citric acid
• bicarbonate soda
• flavored/flavoured jelly crystals
• dessert spoon
• small mixing bowl
• small snap lock bag.

To make sherbet you will need to:

• add 1 level teaspoon of citric acid crystals to the bowl
• add 1 level teaspoon of bicarbonate soda to the bowl
• now add 3 heaped dessert spoons of icing sugar
• add at least 2 level dessert spoons of jelly crystals (or more to taste)
• place a small amount, about half a teaspoon on your tongue
• after tasting you may need to vary the ingredients. If it is too bitter add more sugar, if there isn’t enough fizz you may need to add either bicarbonate soda or citric acid. Make sure you add only in small amounts, remember you can always add more but it is very hard to remove some.

You have just created an acid-base reaction in your mouth. When you combine an acid (in this activity the citric acid) and an alkaline (the bicarbonate soda) with saliva they mix together to create a gas in the form of lots of tiny bubbles.

This is called an acid-based reaction and it’s what gives sherbet its fizz. You are actually feeling the sensation of carbon dioxide bubbles on your tongue. These are the same bubbles that are in fizzy drinks.

The icing sugar is needed to add sweetness as the citric acid and bicarbonate soda are quite sour. Citric acid is one of the acids found in lemons, oranges and limes. That is why they are called ‘citric fruit’.

The other acid in lemons and other citric fruit is called ascorbic acid. This is commonly known as vitamin C. The jelly crystals simply add flavour.

Follow these instructions to make an egg bounce while learning about chemical reactions.

• hard-boiled egg, with shell on
• glass of vinegar.

To make your eggs bounce you will need to:

• Put the egg into the vinegar – you should see bubbles start to form on the egg.
• Leave the egg undisturbed for at least a day. You should see some wonderful scum form.
• Take the egg out of the vinegar and rinse it with water. The shell will rub off.
• Give the egg a poke with your finger and squeeze it gently.

Vinegar, or dilute acetic acid, ‘eats up’ the calcium carbonate in the egg shell, just leaving the inner membrane, or skin, of the egg behind. As the calcium carbonate is responsible for making the shell hard, the vinegar soaked egg feels soft and rubbery.

When calcium carbonate (the egg shell) and acetic acid (the vinegar) combine, a chemical reaction takes place and carbon dioxide gas is released. That’s why you see the bubbles.

The chemical reaction keeps happening for about a day until all of the calcium carbonate in the egg is used up. Calcium carbonate is in eggshells, seashells, limestone, and many other materials.

Let’s have a closer look at the chemical reaction. Calcium carbonate’s formula is CaCO 3 and acetic acid is CH 2 COOH.

So the reaction is: CaCO 3 + CH 2 COOH -> Ca 2+ (in the form of a salt) + H 2 O + 2CO 2 .

The calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) float free in the solution. Ions are atoms or molecules that have an electric charge due to the loss or gain of electrons.

Applications

Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is largely made of calcium carbonate. It is ordinarily white, but may be coloured by impurities; iron oxide making it brown, yellow, or red and carbon making it blue, black, or grey. The texture varies from coarse to fine.

Most limestones are formed over thousands of years from the skeletons of marine invertebrates. Among the important varieties of limestone are marl, chalk, oolite, travertine, dolomite, and marble.

Acid rain causes reactions like the ones in this activity. One kind of acid rain can come from air pollution caused by burning fuels that have sulfur atoms, which when burnt produce sulphur dioxide gas.

When the sulfur dioxide mixes in with rain, it turns to weak sulfuric acid. When the acid rain hits the limestone it slowly makes it fall apart, like the egg shell did. People use limestone in buildings and statues.

This is why over time, buildings and statues are being damaged by acid rain.

If you collect small rock samples and drop them in vinegar, you may see bubbles appear, like they did on the egg. The presence of bubbles indicates that calcium carbonate may be present in the sample.

Calcium carbonate reacts with acids to produce carbon dioxide gas, which we observe as bubbles. This is called the ‘acid test’. The ‘acid test’ is one of many tests that geologists use to determine the identity of a rock sample.

Creating Crystals

• Bicarbonate soda
• 3 eye-droppers
• 3 plastic containers or bowls
• Measuring cup
• 3 small plastic cups
• Label the containers ‘sugar’, ‘salt’ and ‘bi-carb’.
• Pour half a cup of warm water into the container labelled ‘sugar’.
• Add a spoonful of sugar to the water and stir until dissolved. Keep adding sugar until no more will dissolve.
• Repeat Steps 2 and 3, but with the salt instead of sugar.
• Again repeat Steps 2 and 3, but this time with bi-carb soda instead of sugar or salt.
• Label the small plastic cups ‘sugar’, ‘salt’ and ‘bi-carb’.
• Use separate eye-droppers to put a few drops of each container’s solution into the matching cup.
• Place the cups in a warm, sunny place and leave them until the liquid has evaporated. What do you see?

You can try this activity with other crystalline substances as well.

When a solid (or ‘solute’) is dissolved in the water until no more dissolves, the solution is ‘saturated’. The amount of substance that dissolves in water increases with temperature. As the solution cools back down to room temperature, there is now more solute in the water than would normally be the case – the solution is ‘supersaturated’.

As the water evaporates, the solute precipitates out of solution in the form of crystals. This is an example of crystallisation. You will notice that each precipitate forms slightly different crystals: they might be different in size and shape. The size and shape of a crystal depend on a number of factors including chemical formula, temperature and pressure. In general, crystals that form slowly tend to be larger than crystals that form quickly.

• Food colouring
• Small mixing bowl
• Plastic spoon
• Pour some cornflour into a mixing bowl.
• Stir in small amounts of water until the cornflour has become a very thick paste.
• To make the slime the colour of your choice, thoroughly stir about five drops of food colouring into the mixture.
• Stir your slime REALLY slowly. This shouldn’t be hard to do.
• Stir your slime REALLY fast. This should be almost impossible.
• Now punch your slime REALLY hard and fast. It should feel like you’re punching a solid.

You can keep your cornflour and water mixture covered in a fridge for several days. If the cornflour settles, you need to stir it to make it work well again.

Anything that flows is called a fluid. This means that both gases and liquids are fluids.

Fluids like water which flow easily are said to have low viscosity, whereas fluids like cold honey which do not flow so easily are said to have a high viscosity.

Cornflour slime is a special type of fluid that doesn’t follow the usual rules of fluid behaviour. When a pressure is applied to slime, its viscosity increases and the cornflour slime becomes thicker.

At a certain point, slime actually seems to lose its flow and behave like a solid. Cornflour slime is an example of a shear-thickening fluid.

The opposite happens in shear-thinning fluids; they get runnier when you stir them or shake them up. For example, when toothpaste is sitting on a toothbrush it is pretty thick, so you can turn the toothbrush upside down and the toothpaste doesn’t fall off.

But if it was that thick when you tried to squeeze it out of the tube, there is no way you could manage it. Fortunately, toothpaste gets runnier when you are squeezing it out of the tube. Other shear-thinning fluids include:

• ballpoint pen ink
• nail polish

Although there are lots of shear-thinning and shear-thickening fluids, nobody has a really good idea why they behave the way they do.

The interactions between atoms in the fluids are so complicated that even the world’s most powerful supercomputers can not model what is happening. This can be a real problem for people who design machinery that involves shear-thinning fluids, because it makes it hard to be sure if they will work.

• 1 tablespoon of unflavoured gelatine (from supermarkets)
• ½ cup golden syrup or glucose
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• Heat-proof bowl
• Place the gelatine and salt in your bowl.
• Add ½ cup of syrup.
• Add ½ cup of hot water. Now is the time to add food colouring if you want icky green or yellow coloured snot.
• Mix every thing together and cool in a fridge for 30 minutes.
• Run a fork through the snotty mixture to see what it looks like. Your mucus will get thicker and thicker as it cools, if it is too thick, you can add more water.

You have just made a realistic model of your very own snot. Mucus is composed of water, epithelial (surface) cells, dead leukocytes (white blood cells), mucins (large proteins), and inorganic salts. Your home made mucus contains water, salt and proteins (gelatine is animal protein, usually made from beef or pig skin and hooves), almost like real mucus.

The gelatine dissolves in hot water making a thick solution, but is insoluble (won’t dissolve) in cold water. When cooled, the particles swell to make jelly-like goo.

Mucus has an important role to play in your body. In your nose it traps dust and anything else unwanted in the air. Mucus dries around particles which harden and this means it can take a quick exit out of your body when you blow your nose.

It’s your mucous membrane that makes snot, and this lines the inside of your nose and respiratory system. The outermost cells of this membrane produce the thick mucus fluid.

You may think that mucus is only found in your nose, but did you know that you also find it in your mouth, lungs, stomach and intestines!

When you get a common cold, an infection in your upper respiratory tract, your body produces loads more mucus than normal to carry away waste material. When sick, your mucus can change colour/color to yellow or green because of trapped bacteria, virus particles and white blood cells – the causalities of your body fighting the viral or bacterial infection.

Reference: These experiments are from our partners at CSIRO.

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50 Chemistry Projects That Will Amaze Kids!

February 26, 2019 by Ana Dziengel 5 Comments

Chemistry projects feel like magic , do they not? If you think about some of your favorite science projects, the ones you love to try with your kids or the ones that amazed YOU as a kid, more likely than not most of them involved chemistry.

Now I know a lot of us associate chemistry with lab coats, beakers and specialty ingredients but the reality is there are so many chemistry projects you can do using very simple, easy to find ingredients, often found in your own pantry. And since these types of simple chemistry projects use relatively safe ingredients, they are perfect to try with younger kids, ie. preschool and elementary aged children! In fact I think it’s so important for young kids to have a positive association with chemistry from a young age that fosters a love of this branch of science.

When most children are finally exposed to chemistry in school, it is at the high school level where the subject turns complex quickly; hopefully giving kids a chance to have fun at young age mixing up concoctions and watching chemical reactions will help carry their interest through the more complicated days of study ahead.

This post is a GIANT compilation of  chemistry projects that would be great for the science fair, classroom demos, or at home science with your kids.

Before we get started let’s talk a little bit about what chemistry is and for parents I also included a section covering How to Do Chemistry Projects at Home. If you are a classroom teacher you can skip this section and head right to the projects here.

What is chemistry?

Chemistry is the branch of science that studies matter (anything that has mass and takes up space) and its properties, and how different substances (especially molecules and their atoms) interact, combine, and change to form new substances.

Here are some important definitions to know when working on chemistry projects:

• Element A substance that cannot be separated into any further substances. There are 120 known elements.
• Atom The smallest particle of an element
• Molecule Groups of atoms held together by a chemical bond.
• Ion  An atom or molecule that has an electric charge

While most people think of chemistry purely in terms of chemical reactions, chemistry also covers the study of the states of matter as well as the density of substances.

The five branches of chemistry are:

• Analytical chemistry
• Physical chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Inorganic chemistry
• Biochemistry

Read more about what each branch covers here.

How to Do Chemistry Projects at Home

Many chemistry projects can be done at home using simple materials and are a great way to foster a love of science in kids! I wholeheartedly believe that a wow factor in a project engages and inspires kids to learn more. If you want to try chemistry projects at home here are some suggestions and precautions:

Safety First

Even though most of the projects in this list use safe, easy to find materials they should be used with safety precautions and under adult supervision. Why? Sometimes the chemical reaction that ensues can irritate the skin or eye, can be harmful if swallowed, or is just plain sticky or  messy and adults should be on hand to supervise use . Also be advised that there are a few projects on this list that do use materials that are unsafe for kids to handle. These projects are meant to be demonstrations only and are labeled  accordingly.

• Use household items for chemistry   The classic chemistry project that never fails to impress is the reaction of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (look for a number of variations on this classic in our Acids and Bases section) but there are lots of other great ingredients for chemistry to find in your kitchen including sugar, salt, yeast, lemons, dish soap, milk, Kool- Aid, cabbage, gelatin, and food coloring to name a few…before you order any materials online, try some projects with pantry essentials.
• Safety Goggles
• Large plastic beakers
• Prepare for mess Since a lot of chemistry involves reactions and the ensuing mess, be sure to choose a place in your home that you can easily clean up and where you won’t worry about getting dirty. A patio, breakfast area, or the garage are great choices.
• Generous work area Be sure to have a large table available so everyone has plenty of room to work and/or view projects without bumping into each other.
• Access to Water Clean up is always easier with water at the ready! Choose a location near a hose or shop sink.

Managing Messes

• Hose it down  Depending on the project I suggest doing super messy chemical reactions outside. That way spills can be hosed down easily.
• Painter’s Tarp & Trays  If you cannot go outside a large plastic painter’s tarp is a great way to contain spills and mess. I also highly recommend doing projects on trays or cookie sheets. The raised edges help contain bubbly brews and are easy to dump out and wash.
• Dump station Have a bucket nearby to act as dump station for liquid reactions. Bring it around a table and dump at each station.
• Think about disposal Vinegar kills grass! Slime bits clogs drains! Be sure to consider where you can dump out the liquids safely.

Chemistry Projects for Kids

The following chemistry projects for kids are sorted by topic: Chemical Reactions, Acids and Bases, Carbon Reactions, Chromatography, Colloids & Solutions, Polymers,  and Crystals.

Please note that many if these projects could fit in two or more categories in this post as they demonstrate various scientific and chemical processes. I only classified them once on this list.

Chemistry Projects with Chemical Reactions 

What is a chemical reaction.

Chemical reactions occur when the chemical bonds in a substance are either destroyed or created. In other words the bonds in a molecule are broken during a chemical reaction and the atoms rearranged to create new molecules. Interestingly enough the number of original atoms does not change during the reaction, they are simply reconfigured.

An easy way to explain chemical reactions to kids is to use this analogy: Atoms are like letters, molecules are like words. Chemistry is like taking apart words and rearranging the letters to form a new word.

Read more about chemical reactions here.

Chemical Reactions Projects:

1. milk painting, 2. citrus battery, 3. elephant toothpaste.

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4. Density Lava Lamps

To make a density lava lamp fill a plastic bottle with the following liquids: Clear corn syrup, water with a few drops of food coloring, and  layer of vegetable oil. Be sure to leave a space at the top of the bottle. Wait until the liquids settle then add in a tablet of extra strength alka seltzer. Watch as the alka seltzer and water react and bubble up through the oil layer.   To see this in a  step by step video check out this video (Pssst this is one of our students!!!)

5. Plastic Milk   and Curds & Whey Experiment

6 . color mixing.

Pour water into three clear plastic cups, then add blue, red, and yellow food coloring to each. Have an additional cup full of uncolored water available as well. Give your child an empty ice cube tray and pipettes and let them create different colors by mixing different ratios of two different primary colors in each ice cube compartment. The secondary colors are new colors created from two primary colors. This is a simple visual of how chemical reactions work.

7. Chemistry Clock

8. blow balloons with yeast and sugar, 9. shiny pennies.

• Collect dirty tarnished pennies.
• Pour different acidic liquids into shallow containers. Try vinegar, salsa, lemon & lime juice.
• Add a teaspoon of salt to each container and stir to combine.
• Place a handful of pennies in each container and soak for 5 minutes.
• Remove them from the solution and rinse in soapy water. Let dry on separate paper towels.
• Compare the results! Which ones are shiniest? Which are dull? Did any turn green?

Acids are corrosive and sour tasting. Liquids such as vinegar, lemon juice, and tomato juice are acids. Pennies are made from copper which tarnishes (turns dark) when exposed to oxygen over time. Placing the copper pennies in an acid will clean the copper oxide off them and make them shiny again.

Learn about Acids and Bases

Most liquids are either an acid or a base. Liquids with lots of hydrogen ions in them are considered acids. Liquids with many hydroxide ions are bases. Scientists use a scale called the ph scale to measure how acidic or basic a liquid is. The more hydrogen ions in a liquid the more acidic it is and ranks low on the ph scale. The more hydroxide ions in a liquid the more basic it is and ranks high on the ph scale.  You can see what that looks like here.

When acids and bases are mixed chemical reactions occur and the solution becomes neutralized.

Acid and Bases Projects:

1. baking soda & vinegar volcano, 2. lemon volcano, 3. the colorful cabbage juice science experiment   and acid base experiment with cabbage, 4. dancing rice, 5. green eggs & ham, 6. bubbly citric acid brew , 7. baking soda vs baking powder science experiment, 8. exploding bags, 9. rainbow rubber eggs , 10. surprise eggs  , 11. rainbow wizard’s brew, chemistry projects with fire (carbon reactions).

Carbon is the most important element for life. Chemicals that contain carbon are called organic compounds.  Carbon has two main forms: The first is in the hard form of diamonds and graphite, and the second is the impure form found in charcoal, coal and soot.

SAFTEY WARNING: Carbon reactions are always fascinating to watch however the presence of fire means that these experiments must be supervised by adults at all times!  

Carbon Reactions Projects:

1. smoking fingers, 2. fire snake, 3. silver egg, 4. invisible ink, chromatography.

Chromatography is the process of separating mixtures. We usually think of it in terms of color hence the prefix -chroma, however in chemistry is means simply a method of separating mixtures by letting them slowly move past each other. It applies to both liquids and gasses.  This is wonderful in-depth explanation of chromatography.

Chromatography Projects:

1. chromatography  .

In this project you will separate the color black into other colors. Fold a coffee filter in half. Fold in half two more times until you have a triangular shape. Color the tip of the coffee filter with washable black marker. Get a good coat of ink on the filter. Add a small amount of water to a plastic cup. Place the black tip of the coffee filter in the cup Wait and observe. Come back to the filter after an hour or two and see what happens to the ink. As the coffee filter absorbs water through capillary action, the black ink moves through the filter and is separated by the water into other colors. You should see blue, green and even red as the water separates the ink.

2. Chromatography Flowers

3. chromatography art, 4. chromatography bags, colloids and solutions/solubility.

Colloids and Solutions are two types of homogenous mixtures.

• Colloids are mixtures in which a small particles of a substance are suspended throughout another substance but not chemically bonded. They are stable though and do not separate. Examples of colloids are gelatin, butter, mayonnaise, fog and smoke.
• Solutions are mixtures in which the particles of one substance are completely dissolved in another substance. The solute is the substance being dissolved and the solvent is the substance doing the dissolving. An example of a solution is saltwater.

If you want a more in-depth primer on solutions and colloids hop over here .

Colloid Projects:

1. colloid examples, 2.  oobleck  , 3. make butter , 4. gelatin streaking, solutions/solubility projects:, 5. ice sculptures , 6. ice cream in a bag.

A printable of the science facts at play here

7. Skittles Science

8. magical water blossoms  <span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;” class=”mce_selres_start”></span>, 9. diffusion art, 10. paint solubility  , 11. bleeding blossoms  .

A polymer is a substance made up of a long chain of molecules.  Polymers are typically flexible materials like plastic or gum.

The classic polymer kids LOVE to make is slime! Glue is already a polymer but when combined with sodium tetraborate (borax ) the protein molecules of the glue and the borate ions crosslink, making it harder for the molecules to move and forming the gooey, sticky, substance we know as slime.

Other polymers you are probably familiar with are plastic bags, balloons, instant snow, and even the powdery substance found in diapers that expands when wet.

Polymer Projects:

1. best basic slime  .

Bonus: Get the Science Behind Slime printable here

2. Heat Sensitive Slime

3. diy bouncy balls, 4. magic plastic bag experiment, 5. instant terrariums, 6. how to make paper, 7. skewer through balloon , 8. dry erase figure   and dry erase drawings, 9. recycled plastic flowers.

Crystals are a type of material that is formed by patterns of repeating molecules. There are four types of chemical bonds in crystals and therefore four categories of crystals. These are: Covalent, Molecular, Metallic, and Ionic Crystals. You can grow crystals by mixing up a super saturated solution (usually with a type of salt and water) and letting it settle over time so crystals will form. Check out the various types of easy to grow crystal below and go here to read more about the science of crystals .

Crystals Projects:

1. classic borax crystals , 2. overnight crystal garden, 3. egg geodes, 4. crystal wind catchers, 5. crystal landscapes, 6. candy geodes , 7. salt crystals, conclusion & more.

Alright you guys, do you feel like you have some good project ideas for exploring chemistry with kids? Many of these will make greats science fair projects. Be sure to start with them as a topic then start asking questions, form a hypotheses, and do some experiments.

Now I have to admit that I really fell in love with chemistry projects as an adult. Working with kids in camp, after school, and with my own kids at home I’ve had the chance to try fun chemistry projects and discovered that I love watching chemical reactions AND the reactions on the faces of kids and bystanders during demonstration or project!

If you have kids who fall in love with this branch of science please do check out the incredible book series Elements , Molecules , and Reactions by Theodore Gray (see the series in our Amazon science ideas list here ) The books are stunning, informative, easy to understand and, wait for it…funny!

Another valuable resource for kids who love chemistry is Mel Science’s Chemistry subscription box. They send you a starter kit for free with all the materials you’ll need and then each month you get a new chemistry experiment delivered to your door! This is great product because a lot of specialty chemistry ingredients are hard to find and these kits simplify getting the materials you need! Check it out here:

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February 26, 2019 at 10:31 pm

These were some really awesome projects. I really liked the Citrus Battery projects. It seems simple and easy for a young kid. I wish schools should give more focus to such experiments instead of shoving down the theoretical knowledge down the throat of young kids.

Carol Biggs says

March 1, 2019 at 4:58 am

Is all of this info available on book form?

Ana Dziengel says

March 6, 2019 at 5:49 am

Not at this time but that’s a great idea!

Betsy Mitten says

March 5, 2019 at 10:43 am

Thank you for making this fantastic collection of experiments with clear directions and easy to understand explanations of the science behind the fun! I know I’ll refer to this list often. I especially appreciate the way the experiments are classified/organized. I teach art with science connections and we are already planning on chalkboard and magnetic slime :). I’ll be sure to tag Babble Dabble Do when I post photos of work inspired by this on target collection!

Kyra Rodriguez says

March 5, 2019 at 10:54 pm

These are all great ideas! I’m pretty sure the kids will have fun and love this activities

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110 Awesome Chemistry Experiments For All Ages

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Chemistry experiments are a great way to get kids excited about studying chemistry even at a young age. I mean, what child doesn’t think about creating bubbling potions or sending secret messages?

The study of chemistry has a scary connotation for many people. Chemistry has this stigma of being only for really, really smart students who want a career in the sciences. The truth is that, like all science, chemistry is everywhere.

In fact, chemistry experiments for kids can be bubbly and full of fungi! Check out the video below of our Making Peeps Blow Up a Balloon chemistry activity.

It is in the way water freezes into ice . It is in the way apples turn brown when you leave their flesh exposed to the air. Chemistry is in the way sugar dissolves in water .

How does chemistry apply to our bodies? Check out our version of the egg with vinegar experiment . We added a little twist that makes an excellent connection between chemistry and our dental health. We have a 25+ page printable pack to go with it for just $2.95 .

Showing how chemistry is involved in everyday life can take that scary factor out of studying chemistry for students. When it comes time to study chemistry, they will be more excited about jumping in.

Chemistry Experiments For All Ages

I wanted to create a resource for you to be able to find the perfect chemistry experiments for your students no matter their age or interests. This post contains 100 chemistry experiments for students from preschool age through high school. I have divided them into 3 age ranges.

• Preschool and Primary
• Middle and High School

Here are a few disclaimers to my divisions of the experiments.

I realize that all students are different and are ready for different levels of experiments. For instance, some students in the elementary age group might be ready for more advanced experiments found in the Middle and High School section, while others need something more basic like those experiments found in the Preschool and Primary section.

Some may question why I put certain experiments in certain sections. First, I looked at the level of maturity I felt needed to conduct the experiment and if parental help was necessary. Next, I looked at the level of understanding the child would need to learn from the experiment.

Some experiments could teach something at different levels or could be done with parental help or independently and still be successful. When this was the case, I put the experiment in the lowest recommended age level.

With all that being said, these are just guidelines. Feel free to try experiments in sections that differ from your students’ age range if you think they would work.

For chemistry experiments, lesson ideas, and resources, check out my Homeschool Chemistry Pinterest board.

First, download the STEM Resource Guide

Preschool Science Experiments

In this pumpkin and candy-themed printable , your little scientist will enjoying dissolving candy corn (or any candy for that matter) and recording what they observed. Includes three science activities, preschool/kindergarten math resources, and coloring and puzzle pages.

Puffy Paint turned Slime activity (This is also good for older students who are studying polymers.)

Dissolving candy

Making A Pe eps Candy Blow Up a Balloon – lesson with printables

Diet Coke and Mentos Explosion

Dripping Slime Experiment

Lava Lamp Experiment

Color Changing Flowers

Rainbow Walking Water

Ice Cream in a Bag

Baking Soda Fizz Experiment

Primary Science Experiments

Make a “Stained Glass” window

Dissolving candy experiment with printables

A fun TWIST on the egg with vinegar experiment. This activity helps children see the chemical reactions that go on in our mouth! Free printable.

Making A Peeps Candy Blow Up a Balloon – lesson with printables

Add the dental health printable pack we have to go with the egg in vinegar chemistry activity

Do Some Soil Testing – This is important life skills information too!

Make Your Own Snowflakes

Polishing Pennies Experiment

Vitamin C And Apple Experiment

Homemade Butter Experiment

Secret Messages Science Experiment 

120 Kitchen Chemistry & Culinary Science Resources – This is a very comprehensive list. If you want to also get some ideas for teaching your children about chemistry while cooking, this is a good place to look too!

Make Plastic From Milk

Fun Bubbles Experiment

Solubility Experiment

Bending Candy Canes

Experimenting With Viscosity And Sensory Bottles

Sudsy Bubble Experiment

Taffy Slime Chemistry

Dissolving Egg Shell Experiment

Make Ice Grow

Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment

Chromatography Butterflies

Erupting Lemon Volcano Chemistry

Make A Lava Lamp

Rock Candy Experiment

Make Heat Changing Color Sensitive Slime

Elementary School Science Experiments

Testing for Vitamin C with Iodine (We used a pumpkin, cranberries, oj, lemons, and more! It’s a lot of fun!)

Oxidation And Reduction Experiment

Make a “Stained Glass” window – a lesson about states of matter and crystallization

Making Peeps Candies Blow Up A Balloon – lesson with printable sheets

Add the dental health printable pack we have to go with the egg in vinegar chemistry activity for $2.95

Why and How Do Leaves Change Colors

Make A Polymer Ball

Enzyme Experiment

Red Cabbage Litmus Experiment

Harry Potter Potions Experiment

Peeps Science Experiment

Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda Experiment

Charcoal Water Purifying Experiment

Kitchen Chemistry: Cake Experiment

Polymer Science: Homemade Fruit Gummies

Food Chemistry: Turn Juice Into A Solid

Exothermic And Endothermic Reactions

Egg Float Science Experiment

Eggshell Geodes Science Experiment

Density Experiment

Forensic Chemistry Experiment

Kitchen Chemistry Experiments

Mentos and Soda Eruption

Make Invisible Ink

Glow Stick Reactions

Using Lemons To Make Batteries

Make A Potato Battery

Diaper Chemistry

Candle Chemical Reaction

Melting Ice With Salt

Viscosity Experiment

Melting Ice Experiment

Salt And Ice Experiments

Ice Experiments

Chemiluminesence 

Non-Newtonian Fluids

Explore An Unknown Material

How Temperature Affects Molecular Movement

Make An Edible Polymer

The Science Of Jello

Kitchen Chemistry – 2 projects

Make Curds And Whey

Making Hot Ice

The Science Behind Edible Glass

Grow A Crystal Garden

Sugary Drinks And Teeth

Big Hero 6 Chemistry Concoctions 

Compare The Electrolytes In Sports Drinks

Measure Glucose In Your Food

Charged Atoms Experiment

Gummy Bears Osmosis Experiment

Milk Polarity Experiment 

Simple Digestion Experiment

Disappearing Color Experiment

Middle and High School Science Experiments

Parents of middle and high school students .

Check out ChemistryTalk.org. This is a charity non-profit (all of their content is free) whose mission is to make chemistry fun and easy. They have tutorials, experiments, videos, a podcast, and many resources to help your teen understand and enjoy chemistry.

Endothermic Chemical Reaction using Epsom salt

What Happens to the pH and temperature of a solvent when you add candy corn??

Peeps Science: Change In Mass Experiment 

Peeps Science Experiment: Blowing Up a Balloon with Peeps

Chemical Reaction Experiment

Oxygen And Fire Experiment

Make Poinsettia pH Paper

Make Elephant Toothpaste

Make A Rainbow Of Colored Flames

Make Green Fire Pinecones

Copper Plating Ornaments

Make Colored Fire

Electrolysis Of Water

Make A Silver Egg

Make A Black Fire Snake

Three Station Gas Lab

Solubility Of Gases In Water

Salt Formation From Chemical Reactions

Check out ChemistryTalk.org. This is a charity non-profit (all of their content is free) whose mission is to make chemistry fun and easy. They have tutorials, experiments, videos, a podcast, and many resources to help your teen understand and enjoy chemistry

Water Content Lab

Water Quality Experiment

Make A Balloon Egg

Separating Sand And Salt

Rate Of Evaporation

Electricity From Chemicals

Create A Compound Of Two Elements

Melting And Freezing Experiment

Soft Water Experiment

Make Homemade Root Beer

How To Separate Water Into Hydrogen And Oxygen Using Electrolysis

Desalinization Experiment

Need 120 MORE Kitchen Chemistry Experiments and Culinary Science Ideas?

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Elementary school teachers can use these activities to enrich the study of many different science topics in the elementary curriculum. Topics are aligned with curriculum for physical science, earth and space science, and some life science.

The activities focus on the process of doing science, including the importance of establishing an experimental control; changing and controlling variables; observing, measuring, and recording data; and drawing reasonable conclusions. Whenever possible, mathematics is incorporated into activities so that math and science skills are developed together.

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